France has been forced back into a strict lockdown on Friday, with President Emmanuel Macron saying it is the only way to battle the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The measures are in place until at least the start of December because of the growing numbers of infections, deaths and hospitalizations.

Parisians and the residents of other major cities are bracing for a month of new confinement.

"With the authorizations and all that, it's not really a 'light' lockdown," said Pascale, a 56-year-old market shopper. "But if we have to go through this then we have to play the game so we can get out of this crisis."

Similarly, Marie Dewiff, 73, said: "It's always a constraint but it's necessary for health reasons. You have to look at the goals that are being pursued. There are always advantages and disadvantages."

Jean-Paul Sarazin, a 59-year-old Paris resident, said: "It will be a rather severe Christmas. Not really as fun as usual. Especially when we travel for Christmas, or not, but for now we remain confined, with our glasses fogged up."

Faced with tens of thousands of people testing positive each day and rising mortality rates, and with intensive care units close to saturation, the government says it was forced to act.

After Macron's address to the nation on October 28 announced the new lockdown measures, Prime Minister Jean Castex addressed MPs, who voted overwhelmingly to approve the new restrictions.

"We will have to manage a higher peak of hospitalizations in November than in April," said Castex.

"And because the virus is accelerating, we need to accelerate too. The situation is changing and we are adapting to the new circumstances created by this sudden acceleration."

Last-chance dinner

People took one last chance to have lunch or dinner on Thursday, heading to cafes, restaurants and other non-essential stores which are now closed until December. Thousands took to the roads to drive out of France's main cities, causing huge traffic jams.

The president promised a financial aid package of $11,000 to support each business that has to shut.

"We still need support. Workers and companies still need support and liquidity provisions, job retention schemes and next generation planning," Andrea Garnero, an economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, told CGTN Europe.

"It's not the time to roll back the measures yet when we are heading for more weeks and months of difficult economic conditions or proper lockdowns."

This lockdown will not be as strict as the one earlier in the year, as schools and some workplaces will stay open this time.

The government has said it could relax the rules if the situation improves – but it also warned that it could toughen measures further if the situation continues to deteriorate.